A s August winds down and we prepare for a new school year, this edition of Justice + Art celebrates the young rising stars among us, those with the audacity to be optimistic and who create art to lift us all. Through music, film, visual art, and literature, the adventurous spirit of youth sends us into autumn on a note of hope and rebellion. There is so much beauty in the world and new voices and novel visions are constantly emerging to recharge our spirits and dare us to keep pushing boundaries.
Music
This month we shine a spotlight on our own 2025 artist in residence, the captivating Ìsa Blues. This rising musical star made her JusticeAid debut at our spring NYC benefit concert. Ìsa’s warm vocals and sultry stage presence captivated our audience, just as her talents have been riveting listeners from Soho to New Orleans. Drawing inspiration from Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Sade, and Jazmine Sullivan, she blends soulful melodies with a distinctive jazz influence that is uniquely her own. Ìsa will perform a set, including an original song, at the JusticeAid benefit on October 20th in Washington, DC. Tickets on sale now!
Art
Kandy G. Lopez
Kandy G. Lopez is a multimedia Afro-Caribbean American portrait artist and professor based in Ft. Lauderdale. Her body of work, spanning fiber paintings, collages, stained glass, and print, explores identity through marginalized individuals who represent her community. She is particularly interested in the concept of “otherness” and its psychological implications as they relate to ancestry, race, class, and gender. The artist is represented by ACA Galleries in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, where she had her debut solo exhibition in 2023.
“I paint the (in)visible and the vulnerable while showcasing their power.”
On creating a portrait
Lopez photographs her models while kneeling so they are looking down—an angle that counters the social hierarchy common in historical art. “I feel the perception of minorities is that the person who is darker is always looked down upon or seen as inferior,” she explains. “For me to get on my knees under a person who’s also a minority gives the perspective of them being bigger, higher, more important.” Luxe Magazine
Film
Coach’s Office
The film is an official selection in the category of short films at the prestgious Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. USC’s Black Art Collective, a student organization focusing on uplifting Black voices in the arts, produced the film.
Coach’s Office is a short film written and directed by multimedia journalist and filmmaker Devyn Dyett, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California. Inspired by her experiences working with student-athletes on campus, the film follows a promising freshman football player navigating the pressures of a top Division 1 college program. It’s a world, she notes, that trains athletes for performance, but rarely for ownership, or for exploring interests beyond their sport. Many athletes also contend with the added pressure of succeeding not only for themselves but for their families.
“Coach’s Office is my attempt to explore these tensions—the push for success, the overlooked identity outside of athletics, and the weight of expectation.” —Devyn Dyett
Film
Coach’s Office
Coach’s Office is a short film written and directed by multimedia journalist and filmmaker Devyn Dyett, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California. Inspired by her experiences working with student-athletes on campus, the film follows a promising freshman football player navigating the pressures of a top Division 1 college program. It’s a world, she notes, that trains athletes for performance, but rarely for ownership, or for exploring interests beyond their sport. Many athletes also contend with the added pressure of succeeding not only for themselves but for their families.
The film is an official selection in the category of short films at the prestgious Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. USC’s Black Art Collective, a student organization focusing on uplifting Black voices in the arts, produced the film.
The film is an official selection in the category of short films at the prestgious Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. USC’s Black Art Collective, a student organization focusing on uplifting Black voices in the arts, produced the film.
Art
Kandy G. Lopez
Kandy G. Lopez is a multimedia Afro-Caribbean American portrait artist and professor based in Ft. Lauderdale. Her body of work—spanning fiber paintings, collages, stained glass, and print—explores identity through marginalized individuals who represent her community. She is particularly interested in the concept of “otherness” and its psychological implications as they relate to ancestry, race, class, and gender. The artist is represented by ACA Galleries in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, where she had her debut solo exhibition in 2023.
Featured Writing
You’ve Got a Place Here, Too: An Anthology of Black Love Stories Set at HBCUs, edited by Ebony LaDelle
A heartwarming and unforgettable collection of love stories set at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, exploring hope, endurance, and what it means to leave a legacy, from some of today’s most prominent Black writers, including Elizabeth Acevedo, Jasmine Bell, Carla Bruce, Aaron Foley, Kai Harris, Ebony LaDelle, and others.
“Wildly clever, bright, fun, and breathlessly romantic, You’ve Got a Place Here, Too is a gift to romance lovers. There’s something here for everyone, and it’s an absolute joy of a read. More collections like this, please!”
“The best kind of homecoming . . . heartbreak, self-discovery, belonging, culture, history, and Black love . . . What more could you want from your time in the HBCU universe?”
“Smart, witty, full of passion and love, You’ve Got a Place Here, Too is just the type of anthology I would have loved to have when I was trying to find myself. This should absolutely be on your radar.”
Ebony LaDelle is the author of Love Radio, which was People magazine’s best book of the summer, Apple Books’ best book of 2022, an Amazon’s Editor Pick, and was featured on the Today Show. Delacorte Press, 2025.
Featured Writing
You’ve Got a Place Here, Too: An Anthology of Black Love Stories Set at HBCUs, edited by Ebony LaDelle
A heartwarming and unforgettable collection of love stories set at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, exploring hope, endurance, and what it means to leave a legacy, from some of today’s most prominent Black writers, including Elizabeth Acevedo, Jasmine Bell, Carla Bruce, Aaron Foley, Kai Harris, Ebony LaDelle, and others.
Ebony LaDelle is the author of Love Radio, which was People magazine’s best book of the summer, Apple Books’ best book of 2022, an Amazon’s Editor Pick, and was featured on the Today Show. Delacorte Press, 2025.
Know a Budding Filmmaker? The 2026 NYF TV, Film and Radio Competition is underway!
Last year JusticeAid partnered with New York Festivals (NYF) to create an exclusive new award given to the highest scoring submission across all Social Justice categories in the NYF TV & Film and Radio competitions. Congratulations to Disney+ Spain on its presale trailer, Invisible.
Know a Budding Filmmaker? The 2026 NYF TV, Film and Radio Competition is underway!
Last year JusticeAid partnered with New York Festivals (NYF) to create an exclusive new award given to the highest scoring submission across all Social Justice categories in the NYF TV & Film and Radio competitions. Congratulations to Disney+ Spain on its presale trailer, Invisible.
